Security tips to help prevent loss and fraudulent use of bank cards

Payment by bank card is becoming increasingly popular across Europe, gradually replacing the constant search for the right change: Approximately 220 million Maestro cards are currently in circulation. They can be used for cashless payment at more than 4.4 million point-of-sale (POS) terminals or for withdrawing cash at around 300,000 ATMs.

No wonder such a frequently used system also attracts fraudsters. Although bank cards are regarded internationally as forgery-proof, customers should still be on their guard and follow some simple rules in order to avoid loss and fraudulent use of their cards: They must keep their PIN (personal identification number) secret. The PIN must not be written down anywhere or disclosed to anyone. The ATM or POS terminal keypad should be shielded with one hand when entering the PIN. Customers shouldn’t allow themselves to be distracted when using their bank card and PIN and shouldn’t accept “help” from anyone they don’t know. If anything seems odd or suspicious, they should interrupt the transaction immediately and, where they have used an ATM, inform their bank.

As lost or stolen cards must be cancelled immediately, they should be sure the telephone number they need for this purpose is always at hand, e.g. stored in their mobile phone. They should check their account statements at regular and short intervals and contact their bank immediately if any movements on their account seem suspicious.

Further details are contained in the Association of German Banks’ recent brochure “Security tips for using your bank card and PIN”.

Flyer download [PDF - 34 KB]

The flyer is also available in German at
www.bankenverband.de/kartensicherheit